Dedicated volunteers, a group from Evergeen Halfway House, and a contractor made all the difference, beautifying four illegal dump sites in Mt. Pisgah State Park, Bradford County, on October 5 and 19, 2002.
Fourteen youth from Evergreen and their leader joined eight other volunteers to donate a total of 115 hours of their time, working two Saturdays in the park. The volunteers worked on the Farm Fields and Hutchinson Trail sites.
Together with the Northern Tier Solid Waste Authority cleaning the Hicks Hollow and Hay Fields sites October 3 to 11, more than 10 tons of trash and 6.83 tons of scrap metal were properly disposed or recycled. The scrap was hauled to Weitsman & Sons in Owego, New York, and the trash to the Northern Tier Solid Waste Authority.
The trash consisted mostly of old farm and home items, bottles, cans, some appliances, a television, farm equipment and supplies. The youth were continually amazed at the antiques found, while most of the older volunteers remembered the same items fondly from their own, not-so-distant past. A human trash line was formed along the slope at Hutchinson Trail and everyone walked through the woods finding any overlooked trash at the end of the second day.
The items posed potential risks to humans and wildlife, with sharp, rusted edges and broken glass, and were spoiling the scenic beauty of the area.
Milky Way Farms of Troy donated hot lunches for the volunteers, who were welcomed into the park's environmental education center to warm themselves by the fire.
To ensure proper disposal of waste, DCNR encourages Bradford County residents with disposal and recycling questions to contact Lori Robson at the Northern Tier Solid Waste Authority at (570) 297-4177 or by e-mail.
Mt. Pisgah State Park is located in the Endless Mountains Region of the state's Northern Tier, midway between Troy and Towanda. The 1,302-acre park lies at the base of Mt. Pisgah and is set along Mill Creek. The 75-acre Stephen Foster Lake, named after the famous composer and one time local resident, provides fishing, boating, and skating opportunities.
The land that became Mt. Pisgah State Park was first cleared for farmland in the early 1800s. The environmental interpretive center is dedicated to the early settlers who farmed this land.
Learn more about other illegal dump sites in state forests and parks.
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This page last updated December 11, 2002.
